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Harry Houdini was a Hungarian-born American illusionist and stunt performer, noted for his sensational escape acts. He first attracted notice in vaudeville in the US and then as "Harry 'Handcuff' Houdini" on a tour of Europe, where he challenged police forces to keep him locked up.

He does not have an Ordinary People Change the World book, but he appeared in an episode of Xavier Riddle and the Secret Museum called I Am Harry Houdini.

He is voiced by Liam McDonald.

Etymology[]

Erik Weisz was Harry's birth name. He named himself "Houdini" sometimes after reading the autobiography of deceased magician Jean Eugène Robert-Houdin in 1890 when he was 16 years old.

Since "Harry" was a child when the Riddles and Brad met him ("Wisconsin in 1881", he would have been approximately seven years old), he would not have read Jean's biography yet.

He doesn't actually refer to himself as Houdini during the episode. When they arrive, Xavier mentions the name but out of hearing range. Yadina later says "you can do it Houdini!" while closer to him, but Erik might not have heard it since he was focused on keeping his balance. She later says "nice moves Houdini" and "way to go Harry!" and he should've been able to hear that, but doesn't contradict them.

In the show's timeline (differing from reality) it appears that Jean was born later (he looks young) and thus was still alive, and Harry actually met him and named himself after Jean over a decade earlier than he did.

"Thirty-one years later" would be in 1912 (not necessarily still in Wisconsin) when Harry would've been approximately 38 years old. His appearance doesn't appear to have changed.

Appearance[]

Harry is depicted with fair skin and wavy brown hair. He wears a black tuxedo, grey shoes, and a red bow tie. He has a small white cravat, and a grey shirt with 3 black buttons. His cuffs are white with yellow buttons.

Trivia[]

He mentions "my mom says I'm always surprising people", which is a reference to his mother Cecília Steiner.

Although there's no circus tight rope walker named "Fearless Jean" in the real world, Harry Houdini might've got his inspiration to go into show business from an actual circus, as one of the odd jobs he took as a child-- specifically, a nine-year-old-- was a trapeze artist. In fact, acrobatics as "Ehrich, the Prince of the Air' was practically his debut performance.

Video[]

Xavier_Riddle_and_The_Secret_Museum_Sneak_Peek_with_Harry_Houdini!_PBS_KIDS

Xavier Riddle and The Secret Museum Sneak Peek with Harry Houdini! PBS KIDS

ved Characters
Main
BerbyBrad Meltzer (character)Dr. ZoomXavier RiddleYadina Riddle
Historical Figures
Johann Sebastian BachMarie CurieMary ShelleyHarry HoudiniHelen KellerAlexander Graham BellFlorence NightingaleGeorge Washington CarverLeonardo da VinciAmelia EarhartIsaac NewtonGolda MeirWinston ChurchillCleopatraCatherine the GreatTomioka TessaiGeorge WashingtonSusan B. AnthonyZora Neale HurstonCharles DickensWright BrothersBrontë SistersMark TwainAbigail AdamsJulia ChildNeil ArmstrongJackie RobinsonAnna PavlovaMary LeakeyAlexander HamiltonTheodore RooseveltEleanor RooseveltLou GehrigMarie OwensJackie Joyner-KerseeSally RideJunko TabeiNikola TeslaNellie BlyMaya AngelouFrederick DouglassLouis PasteurRachel CarsonKate WarneSir Arthur Conan DoyleCésar ChávezDolores HuertaConfuciusSacagaweaMary AnningCharlie ChaplinBillie Jean KingArthur AsheRosa ParksThurgood MarshallHarriet TubmanWilma RudolphJonas SalkJesse OwensElla FitzgeraldJames NaismithTemple GrandinAlbert EinsteinCarol BurnettAbraham LincolnJane JacobsEdmund HillaryCelia CruzIbn BattutaBeulah Louise HenryJigonsasehRukmini DeviBob RossFred RogersMichelangeloDorothy LevittBessie ColemanSejong the GreatEugenie ClarkBenjamin BannekerRuth Bader GinsburgGrandmaster FlashMary SeacoleHedy LamarrArchimedesJames BraidwoodLili'uokalaniAlvin AileyLucy Maude MontgomeryZelia NuttallJules LéotardLouis BrailleZaha HadidJim ThorpeNorval MorrisseauRoberto ClementeKristi YamaguchiMadam C. J. WalkerEdwin BinneyWilliam ShakespeareKatherine JohnsonBruce LeeSonia ManzanoJerry SiegelJoe ShusterEdmonia LewisDavid SuzukiEsther MartinezGwen IfillMatthew HensonKofi AnnanWilliam HerschelCaroline Herschel
Minor Characters
HarperButterfly Club LeaderOlder GirlFearless JeanMurrayAnne SullivanBelleHelen's special teacherΠPoppyBell's MotherHelen's escortGeorge (I Am Alexander Graham Bell)Next Door NeighborFlo's petFlo's neighbor's dogBasketballerRobotterMonaAmelia's momAmelia's teacherGolda's MomTrike KidTurtlePark RangerReginaJinCharlieBenjamin and TheodorePhillipKing PtolemyCleo's catRiddles' momRiddles' dadRiddles' grandmaMatthiasBrad's dadBrad's granddadBrad's great-granddadRiddles' mom's momTomioka's FatherYadina's great grandmaLawrenceDaniel Read AnthonyGuelma Penn AnthonyGertieYoung ManOld ManJulia's GrandmotherMallie RobinsonSarahBrianKid in a green coatSarah's dadBrendan ConnollyGirl (I Am Marie Owens)TylerBoy 1LionQueen of ClubsJohn AdamsAnna's teacherJack PavlovaXavier and Yadina's great great grandmotherHikariDjuka TeslaMacakAlbertJules VerneJimmyTommyEggertonLennyBig KidBand LeaderMaiLewis and ClarkJosephHannah ChaplinBobby RiggsJamieTennis BoyTennis OfficialSkater BoyBus DriverGentlemanPoppy the DogKitty the CatFredThurgood's momBen and Rit TubmanSlave Owner (I Am Harriet Tubman)Wilma's sistersRufusMean Athlete KidBenCJAnnikaJosiah CrawfordTenzing NorgayBob's squirrelDirectorNancy RogersTag KidKitty CatTeenGaryJohn ColemanSoo-MinTaejinJeongsukFarmerMary BannekyKerryCelia BaderErrolMary's momMs. RachelAunt LuciaZelia's motherProfessorSwim InstructorKatieEloiseMr. Lumiere